Between The Ropes » roddy piperhttp://www.betweentheropes.com
Tue, 31 Mar 2015 11:00:57 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1http://www.betweentheropes.com/?feed=podcastBrian Fritz and Michael Wiseman talk pro wrestling and pop culture with top personalities.Brian FritznoBrian Fritzfritz@betweentheropes.comfritz@betweentheropes.com (Brian Fritz)by Brian FritzBetween The Ropes » roddy piperhttp://www.betweentheropes.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/new_BTR_logo_2_1400_x_1400.jpghttp://www.betweentheropes.com
TV-14WWE WrestleMania 30th Anniversary Card: Part 5http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/03/24/wwe-wrestlemania-30th-anniversary-card-part-5/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/03/24/wwe-wrestlemania-30th-anniversary-card-part-5/#commentsTue, 24 Mar 2015 12:06:20 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=17340Over the last couple of weeks, I sat down and compiled a 30 match card to celebrate 30 years of WWE WrestleMania. This is not the top 30 matches in WrestleMania history. This is a 30th Anniversary Card, and because it’s a card and not a list, no person appears more than once. That is ...

]]>Over the last couple of weeks, I sat down and compiled a 30 match card to celebrate 30 years of WWE WrestleMania. This is not the top 30 matches in WrestleMania history. This is a 30th Anniversary Card, and because it’s a card and not a list, no person appears more than once. That is the challenge of compiling such a card.

In terms of the in ring product, this match might not even make the card at all, let alone crack the top ten. But this match means so much to the WrestleMania concept that it deserves this spot. The Hogan/Piper rivalry mixed with the blending of pop culture in Mr. T is what ignited wrestling in the 80s and gave us the explosion that took wrestling out of the territories and turned it into a global phenomenon. It may not have aged well, but this match and the storyline behind it captivated an audience that said “I have to keep watching this.” Without this match and this angle, we may not have had 30 WrestleManias. Because of that, this match gets this spot on the card.

9. Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James (XXII) (8:48)

This is the best women’s match in WrestleMania history. Not that there’s much to choose from, as the women’s division (now known stupidly as the “diva” division… I hate that word) has never been given much of a chance at WrestleMania. Despite this, this match holds up on its own without the lousy comparative matches. These two had a crazy (literally and figuratively) storyline heading into this match which I thought was very well done and pushed the envelope quite well. The thing that really makes this match top ten worthy is the fact that about halfway into the match the Chicago crowd starts to get behind James as if she was CM Punk. Everything about this match is awesome. I’m glad it gives the underappreciated women’s division a spot on this card, especially since it’s Trish who, as JR said in this match, was the greatest WWE Women’s Champion, ever.

8. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (X) (20:21)

This is one of the reasons I didn’t include the Bret/Shawn ironman match. Owen was one of my favorites and this match was the best of his career in my opinion. Plus, the two brothers going at it is one of the most special moments in Mania history. The match itself is one of the best in Mania history as well. The near falls are incredible, the technical wrestling is incredible, and the finish is perfect. Bret and Owen put on a wrestling clinic here and absolutely cemented there spot in the top ten. My words really can’t do this match justice. If you’ve seen the match, you agree that it deserves to be on the card. If you haven’t seen the match, do so right now. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

7. Christian vs. Chris Jericho (XX) (14:50)

Christian was known as “The Instant Classic” at one point in his career. This match, in my opinion, is just that: instant classic. Jericho has a solid Mania resume, but this is my favorite match of his, as well as my favorite match of Christian’s singles resume. This match is one of the reasons the TLC from the 17th show of shows didn’t make the card. When I first considered making this card, this match was one of the first to come to my mind and I knew I had to include it here. The in ring action is superb, as expected, and the storyline leading into the match was excellent with the former tag champs turning into bitter enemies amid jealous and betrayal. Oh, and there’s a love triangle thrown in to boot. I like the swerve finish too, which is a rarity for me. I know this match doesn’t come to mind when people think of Jericho, but I feel like this was his best all around match at Mania (and I realize many will disagree, but hey, it’s my card).

6. Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton (XXX) (23:20)

Many people might be surprised to see last year’s main event in this position on the card, but what this match and it’s end result represents makes it a bonafide contender for the top ten. Look back at the build to WrestleMania XXX and watch how Daniel Bryan grows to astronomical levels of over with the crowd. This match is here because it represents how Bryan went from being a mid-card, B+ player, to being THE guy. He went from being reportedly in a mid-card match on the card, to wrestling in both the opener and main event and walking out with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. What happened at WrestleMania XXX is special and despite what happened later with injuries, set backs, and Vince’s hard-on with Roman Reigns, nothing can take away from this moment and how one guy rose above his position on the card to capture the love of the crowd and force the company to make him the champ. The match itself was awesome too, and Orton and Big Dave deserve this spot as we’ll not just for this match but for who they are and what they mean to the company.

And with that, we’re down to our top 5. Think of it as a quintuple main event. You may not agree with the order, but I think you’ll agree that all of my top 5 matches are more than worthy of being where they are. Come back and read the 6th and final part on Thursday. I’ll see ya then!

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/03/24/wwe-wrestlemania-30th-anniversary-card-part-5/feed/031 WrestleMania Matches From The Golden Erahttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/02/26/31-wrestlemania-matches-from-the-golden-era/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/02/26/31-wrestlemania-matches-from-the-golden-era/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 21:37:25 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=16902We’re just about a month away from WrestleMania 31 from Santa Clara, California. We’re are going to be releasing a playlist of the best 31 WrestleMania matches from the Golden Era of the WWE. Here’s a quick stat for you guys, there was 113 matches spanning from the first WrestleMania to WrestleMania 9 which is ...

]]>We’re just about a month away from WrestleMania 31 from Santa Clara, California. We’re are going to be releasing a playlist of the best 31 WrestleMania matches from the Golden Era of the WWE. Here’s a quick stat for you guys, there was 113 matches spanning from the first WrestleMania to WrestleMania 9 which is the era we’re covering in this column. We’ll try our best to make this list as unique, interesting and fun as possible, but as always these list pieces are always subjective. This is a great opportunity for all of you great wrestling fans to check out great matches from the past on the WWE Network. If you have your own favorite WrestleMania matches from the 1980’s comment below.

I hope you guys enjoyed this list. I tried to mix the list it up to where I could have the matches that would play to the favor of today’s wrestling fan and and also the old-school wrestling fans. The list was formed out of historical significance, story telling, and match quality. It’s a subjective list there’s no right or wrong answer, but at the same time I would like to hear back from you guys. Tells us your favorite WrestleMania matches from the Golden Era of the WWE. Next week I’ll have the difficult task to come up with a list of the best 31 WrestleMania matches from the New Generation Era.

Byron Saxton, Booker T and Alex Riley welcomes us to the live WWE Raw Pre-Show on the WWE Network from WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. We get send to a video package recapping Raw is Jericho with the return of WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. The panel talks about the impact Lesnar has brought to the WWE. The panel talks about the Bray Wyatt/Dean Ambrose feud. Tonight Bray Wyatt will take on Dean Ambrose in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight. WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper will host a special edition of Piper’s Pit with special guest Rusev and Lana. It was announced that Roman Reigns will take on The Big Show. Renee Young interviews Roman Reigns. Reigns says that his biggest goal is to make a statement and he says tonight that he will cut down the giant tree and says that the only thing the Big Show wants for Christmas is his two front teeth. Tonight Dolph Ziggler will defend his Intercontinental Championship against Luke Harper. The panel talks about Dolph Ziggler breaking the celing in the WWE. The panel make their’s bold predictions and the WWE Pre-Show goes off air.

WWE Monday Night Raw:

First In-Ring Segment:

WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan, tonight’s RAW guest host, comes out dressed up as Santa Claus. He’s got the hat, the beard, the suit. The works. You can’t even tell it’s Hogan. “Ho Ho Ho, Brother!” begins Hogan. He says tonight, Ho-Ho Hogan is here to spread cheer all over Monday Night RAW, “brother.” The fans break out in a “Hogan! Hogan! Hogan!” chant. He corrects them and gets them to chant “Ho-Ho Hogan! Ho-Ho Hogan!” He says tonight he’s going to be giving presents to all of the WWE Superstars and to us, the WWE Universe. As he goes to wrap up, John Cena’s theme song hits Cena goes into a rant about Santa Claus and Hulk Hogan being icons. The fans break out in another “Ho-Ho Hogan!” chant. Cena sings and jokes about what he wanted for Christmas, but says that changed when “this happened.” With that said, we see a shot of last week’s cage match on RAW when Cena was attacked by Brock Lesnar and then Paul Heyman shook hands with Seth Rollins. After the video package ends, the fans break out in a loud “We Want Lesnar” chant. Cena says he wants Lesnar too he wants to kick his teeth down his throat. Cena says most people would complain about what happened in last week’s cage match, but not him. He says last week he lost to Rollins fair and square, but after that loss he changed his Christmas wish. All he wants is a match tonight versus Seth Rollins. He promises he’ll be ready for anything tonight. He asks “Ho-Ho Hogan” what he thinks.

Before Hogan can answer, Seth Rollins’ theme song hits. Rollins says he can’t believe what he’s hearing out here. He brags about Curb-Stomping Cena’s head into the mat last week. He tells Cena he told him a couple weeks ago that nobody wants to hear his “stupid voice” anymore. He says he didn’t come out here to disrespect anybody. He says Hogan and Cena are absolute legends. He says in their respective eras they took WWE to big heights, but he says Cena’s time is up, and his time is now. Rollins says he’s the future of WWE, the new standard bearer. He warns Cena that if he wants to last one more day in the Rollins era, that’s something he’s going to have to accept. The fans start chanting “You Sold Out.” Rollins says the real reason he’s out here is to tell us that “Ho-Ho Hogan” shouldn’t be running RAW tonight, it should be The Authority. Rollins says Triple H and Stephanie McMahon deserve to be here tonight. The fans boo, so Rollins says that boo’ing that is not the holiday spirit. He says people like Hogan running this show is what is running this company down the toilet. He says all of this started at Survivor Series when “The Vigilante” Sting stuck his nose in their business. He tells Santa that if he doesn’t grant him his Christmas present, he’s not gonna be so lucky.

He says what he wants is for Hogan to force Cena to do the right thing and bring The Authority back. “Would you just shut up. Shut up. You’re putting these poeple to sleep damnit, shut up,” says Cena. He goes on a rant about how Rollins has become a complete scumbag. He says if Rollins comes down to the ring, he’ll give him a shiney pair of green sneakers up his ass. He tells Rollins to come down here and shut him up or walk away like the coward he is. He tells him he’s not bringing The Authority back. “Ho-ho-hold on a minute,” says Hogan. He says tonight, Seth Rollins is gonna face John Cena in the first match tonight on RAW. “So Ho-Ho-Ho!” finishes Hogan. Cena takes his shirt off and prepares for battle. Hogan puts his Santa hat on Cena. “So whatcha gonna do, when Hulk Hogan, the WWE Universe and all of the Christmas cheer run wild on you, brother!”

First Match: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins w/J&J Security

They lock up and Rollins with a side head lock. Rollins with a shoulder tackle but Cena with a hip toss and Rollins rolls to the floor. Seth tells Joey and Jamie to surround Cena and Cena goes after Mercury and then Noble. That allows Rollins to attack Cena and he kicks Cena until the referee warns him. Cena with punches followed by an Irish whip. Rollins with a knee and then he hits a blockbuster for a near fall. Rollins punches Cena and connects with an elbow to the back of the head. Rollins punches Cena. Rollins with more punches to Cena followed by a hard Irish whip. Cena with a drop kick. Rolins with a kick to the knee followed by punches and kicks in the corner. Rollins with an elbow drop to the knee as he starts to focus on the leg. Rollins punches Cena in the midsection and he chokes Cena in the corner. Rollins with a running forearm into the corner and Cena goes down. Rollins with a knee drop and he gets a near fall. Rollins with a front face lock. Cena powers out of the hold and he kicks Rollins and both men go for clotheslines and they both go down. Rollins and Noble distract the referee with the briefcase and Mercury hits Cena and Rollins gets a near fall.

We are back and Rollins with a head lock. Cena blocks a kick and then he hits a flying shoulder tackle, but Rollins knows what is next so Rollins drops down and Cena goes to the floor. Rollins with a suicide dive. Rollins rolls Cena back into the ring and Rollins misses a springboard knee. Cena misses a Blue Thunder Bomb attempt and Rollins with a rollup for a near fall. Rollins with a super kick for a near fall. Rollins goes for a buckle bomb but Cena counters and gets Rollins on his shoulders. Rollins lands on his feet and Cena blocks a kick from Rollins. Cena with a Blue Thunder Bomb and then he tries for an STF but Rollins lands on his feet when he tries to pulls Rollins off the ropes. Rollins with an enzuigiri for a near fall. Rollins with a running forearm into the corner but Cena with a sit out power bomb for a near fall. The referee starts his count as they get back to their feet. Rollins and Cena with punches. Cena with a Blue Thunder Bomb and then he hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle.

Cena gets Rollins on his shoulders but he goes after Noble and Mercury when they get on the apron. Cena with a back body drop onto Mercury and Noble on the floor. Cena sends Rollins back into the ring and he goes up top for the Rocker Dropper and he hits it but he can only get a two count. Cena with a front face lock and he puts Rollins on the turnbuckles. Cena tries for a superplex but Rollins holds on and gets to his feet and he hits a buckle bomb for a near fall. Rollins gets back to his feet and he tries for Black Out but Cena moves and he locks in the STF. Rollins gets to the ropes but Cena pulls Rollins into the center of the ring. Mercury gets into the ring and then Noble tries to interfere. Cena with a splash into the corner and he give Mercury and Noble and double Attitude Adjustment. Rollins misses a shot with the briefcase and Cena with an Attitude Adjustment for the three count.

Winner: John Cena

Kane does a Bah Hum Bug skit in the backstage area.

Second Match: Jack Swagger vs. Fandango w/Rosa Mendes

They lock up and Swagger with a waist lock take down and Fandango tries for a side head lock but Swagger holds on. Fandango with a side head lock. Fandango goes for a float over but Swagger does not go into the corner. Swagger with a waist lock take down and he tries for the ankle lock but Fandango goes to the floor. Swagger with a boot to Fandango followed by a splash into the corner and a clothesline. Swagger with the Double Jump Swagger Bomb attempt but Fandango goes his feet up. Swagger with a kick and he hits the Swagger bomb for a near fall. The referee pulls Swagger out of the corner and Fandango with a series of enzuigiris that stagger Swagger. Fandango goes up top and he hits the FandangoBama Jam for the three count.

Winner: Fandango

Tom Phillips & Dolph Ziggler Backstage Segment:

Tom asks Dolph about having to face Luke tonight. Dolph says the ladder match was one of the most brutal matches he has ever been in. It was tough physically and mentally. It showed him what it would take to get the title off him. Luke is a nightmare come to life. Dolph says he is a four time Intercontinental Champion. There will not be a Christmas miracle tonight. He will give the fans what they want and he will steal the show. He tells Luke it is too bad that he is too good. Dolph wishes TP a Merry Christmas as we go to commercial.

Third Match: Adam Rose vs. R-Truth

They lock up and Rose with an arm drag. They lock up and Truth with a side head lock. Truth holds the ropes and he dances around and wants to know What’s Up. Rose does his own Dancing in the Dark. He tries for a kick but Truth blocks it and gets the three count with a rollup. After the match, The Bunny checks on Rose after the humiliating loss Rose just suffered. Rose is muttering to himself and then he gets up and hits a spinebuster on the Bunny. Rose kcks and punches the Bunny. Rose kicks the Bunny to the floor and then Rose yells at his Rosebuds to stay back. Rose with a running knee to the Bunny against the ring steps. Rose sends The Bunny into the ringside barrier. Rose storms to the back and goes through his Rosebuds.

Winner: R-Truth

Fourth Match: Roman Reigns vs. Big Show

They lock up and Show sends Reigns to the mat. Show misses a splash into the corner and Reigns with punches. Reigns with a splash into the corner but he runs into a shoulder tackle from Show. Show with a head butt. Show punches Reigns in the midsection. Show with a military press hot shot onto the top rope followed by a running shoulder tackle for a near fall. Show kicks and punches Reigns but Reigns punches back. Show with a punch and slam to Reigns followed by an elbow drop for a near fall. Show with a kick to the ribs followed by an elbow to the arm.

Show sends Reigns into the turnbuckles and then he kicks Reigns. Show with a chin lock using Reigns arm for more pressure. Reigns gets back to his feet and he connects with elbows and punches. Show with a punch and Irish whip but he runs into a boot. Reigns with clotheslines but they do not move Show. Reigns with a flying clothesline and he takes Show to the mat. Reigns with a Samoan drop. Reigns sets for the Superman punch but Show pushes Reigns away. Reigns with a drop kick to the knee and Show hangs over the bottom rope. Reigns with the Juggernaut drop kick and then he hits a Superman punch that knocks Show over the announce table. The referee gets to ten and counts Show out.

Winner: Roman Reigns by Countout

Renee Young & Dean Ambrose Backstage Segment:

Renee asks Dean about his preparation for his match tonight. Dean says he has been preparing all year because he has been a really good boy. He went to see Santa at the Mall of America. He might not have seen Santa, but he saw a security guard with a beard. He said that all he wanted for Christmas is Bray Wyatt. Tonight he gets him. Every time a bell rings, Bray Wyatt gets a beating. He wishes Renee a Happy Holiday.

Fifth Match: Brie Bella w/Nikki Bella vs. Natalya w/Tyson Kidd

They lock up and Brie pushes Natalya from behind and Natalya pushes back and she kicks Brie and applies a wrist lock. Brie with a fireman’s carry into an arm bar. Natalya tries to reverse the hold but Brie with a kick and Irish whip. Natalya with an elbow and she goes to the turnbuckles but Brie pulls her off the turnbuckles and gets a near fall. Brie with a kick to the chest and then she sets for the running knee against the ropes and she connects. Brie sets for another one and she connects. Brie gets a near fall. Brie with a chin lock. Natalya with a snap mare but Brie takes Natalya down and gets a near fall. Brie kicks Natalya and returns to the chin lock with the arm trapped. Natalya with elbows and forearms. Brie with a sunset flip but Natalya rolls through and tries for the Sharpshooter but Brie tries for an inside cradle but Natalya counters for the three count.After the match, Tyson celebrates with Natalya and then Natalya knocks Nikki off the apron and then Natalya holds the title belt while Brie checks on Nikki, who is holding her surgically repaired knee.

Winner: Natalya

Sixth Match: Gold & Stardust vs. Los Matadores w/EL Torito

Goldust and Stardust were in the Goldman Box and Stardust is singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and he complains he only works one night a year. Goldust says that he will make sure that mutant’s nose is red when he is done with him. He wishes everyone a Feliz Navidad. Fernando and Stardust start things off and Stardust wants Torito and he tags in. Stardust pushes Torito away and Torito runs into Stardust and then Stardust goes to the floor when Torito moves. Torito with a suicide dive but Stardust catches him. Torito with an arm drag. Goldust tags in and Torito avoids him.

Diego with a sunset flip after making the tag and he gets a near fall. Goldust sends Diego into the ring post and then he punches him and connects with a series of fist drops. Goldust with a reverse chin lock. Stardust tags in and Diego sends Goldust to the floor and Stardust to the apron. Stardust pulls Diego down and then he hits a drop kick when Stardust comes off the turnbuckles. Fernando and Goldust tag in and Fernando with a clothesline and flying shoulders. Goldust with an Irish whip but Fernando with a rana. Goldust blocks a monkey flip and then Fernando misses a shoulder. Torito tags in and Goldust catches him. Goldust hits Stardust with Torito and Fernando with a lungblower followed by a springboard moonsault for the three count.

Winner: Los Matadores

Luke Harper Backstage Segmet:

Luke Harper says this time of year, people like to give, but not him. He likes to take. He likes to take things away. Tonight, he is going to give himself a present. He is going to hurt Dolph Ziggler and he is going to take the Intercontinental Championship.

Harper with a boot to Ziggler’s head during the introduction. Harper with a suicide dive onto Harper. Harper Irish whips Ziggler into the ringside barrier and then he goes for a power bomb but Ziggler escapes. Harper with a Bossman Slam onto the floor and they enter the ring. The referee holds Harper back so he can check on Ziggler. Harper attacks Ziggler and pulls off Dolph’s shirt. Harper waits in the corner while the referee asks Ziggler if he can wrestle. Ziggler wants the match to start. Harper with a super kick and a sit out power bomb for a near fall. Harper picks up Ziggler and he connects with an uppercut. Harper with another uppercut to Ziggler. Harper rakes Ziggler’s eyes. Ziggler with a punch and he tries for a drop kick but Harper catches him and Harper slingshots Ziggler’s throat into the ropes and he kicks Ziggler to the floor. We are back and Harper stands over Ziggler while Dolph tries to get back to his feet. Ziggler stomps on Harper’s feet and then he tries for a neck breaker but Harper sends Ziggler into the ropes and Harper with a drop kick. Ziggler rolls to the floor.

Harper goes to the floor and he picks up Ziggler but Ziggler tries for a super kick but Harper blocks it and Harper sends Ziggler face first into the announce table. Harper gets a near fall when he rolls Ziggler back into the ring. Harper with a reverse chin lock. Ziggler with punches followed by a drop kick but Harper moves when Ziggler goes for the Vigilante Stinger Splash. Harper gets a near fall. Harper picks up Ziggler and sets for a pump handle suplex and hits it for a near fall. Ziggler with punches and a rollup for a near fall. Harper with a kick to the midsection and then he gets Ziggler up for a suplex to send him to the mat for an uppercut. Harper with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Harper sets for a power bomb but Ziggler counters into a modified Code Red and a near fall. Harper with a boot to the head. Harper sets for the discus lariat but Ziggler with a super kick. Harper stays on his feet and Harper hits the discus lariat for a near fall. Ziggler counters a power bomb attempt with an X Factor and follows with a Fameasser for a near fall. Ziggler and Harper exchange punches from their knees. Harper with a palm thrust. Harper avoids a Fameasser but Ziggler with two super kicks followed by a Zig Zag for the three count.After the match, Jerry Lawler asks Dolph about his victory. Dolph says that because of the people in the crowd, he pulled it out tonight. It has been a long road. He has found a way to crawl through and scratch to get the title and he is damned if anyone is going to take it from him.

Winner: Still WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler

Piper’s Pit Segment:

Roddy says that he loves everyone too. He says tis the season to have a Rowdy Holiday time. He says that he loves being here with you. He says his guests tonight are two people who asked to come down here because they have a special Christmas message for all Americans. He brings out Rusev and Lana. Piper says in Piper’s Pit, he likes Lana finishes for Roddy and says ‘straight to the point’. Lana says that Christmas in America is a joke. It is the one time that you Americans pretend to be good people. You put on your fake smiles and your phony holiday cheer. You believe in a bloated man who delivers gifts to your spoiled children.

Roddy stops Lana and tells her that this is the land of the free and we can believe in what we want to. Lana plays what happened last week on Smackdown when Rusev decimated Ryback. Rusev asks if you believe that he can crush the Ryback. The crowd chants for Ryback. Rusev asks if you believe that he can crush Piper. Roddy tells Rusev that he is Hot Rod. He is full of Christmas joy. There is no need for you to be a couple of Communist scrooges. Roddy says that he is a nice guy and he likes Rusev so much that he personally got them a Christmas gift. Roddy says that he put a bow on it. Roddy brings out the gift and it is Ryback with a bow on him. Ryback charges to the ring and he knocks Rusev down and he pushes Rusev into the ringside barrier. Ryback sends Rusev into the ring but Rusev with kicks to Ryback. Rusev has the jumping thrust kick blocked and Ryback with a spinebuster. Ryback sets for the lariat but Rusev gets out of the way and out of the ring.

Emma whips Summer with her hair and then she pushes Summer. Summer falls over Emma and Emma with a drop kick for a near fall. Emma with a front face lock and Cameron tags in but she runs into a shoulder. Cameron with a Codebreaker for a near fall. Cameron slams Emma’s face into the mat and sends her into the turnbuckles. Paige tags in and she kicks Emma and connects with a head butt. Paige puts Emma over the middle rope and connects with knees. Paige screams before returning to the ring and she gets a near fall. Paige with head butts to Emma and gets a near fall. Paige with a reverse chin lock. Paige pulls Emma back to the mat by the hair. Emma with a kick and then they each connect with clotheslines.

Naomi and Cameron tag in and Naomi with a flip clothesline followed by a drop kick. Naomi goes to the apron and kicks Cameron and then drops her on the top rope. Naomi gets a near fall but Summer breaks up the cover. Alicia takes care of Summer but Paige takes care of Alicia. Paige with a head butt to Naomi. Emma pulls Paige to the floor. Naomi kicks Cameron away and Alicia tags in. Cameron with forearms but Alicia with a head scissors driver for the three count.

Winner: Naomi, Emma and Alicia Fox

The Ascension will make their debut next week on Raw.

Ninth Match: The Miz w/Damien Mizdow vs. Jey Uso w/Jimmy Uso

Jey with a rollup for a near fall. Jey with reverse chin lock but Miz backs Jey into the corner and Miz with a side head lock take down. Miz with a shoulder tackle but Jey sends Miz over the top rope to the floor. Sandow lays next to Miz but he moves when Jey hits a plancha onto Miz. Jey sends Miz back into the ring and Jey leaps over Miz. Miz with a knee to Jey’s midsection and he kicks Jey. Miz with a boot to the head and he gets a near fall. Miz rakes the face and he applies a reverse chin lock while he has something to say to Jimmy on the floor. Jey gets to his feet and he punches Miz but Miz pulls Jey to the mat. Miz misses a running boot and Jey with a Samoan drop. Jey sets fro the running butt splash but Miz stops Jey and tries for the Reality Check but Jey escapes. Miz avoids a Samoan drop but Jey with an O’Connor Roll. Miz rolls through and gets the three count with a handful of tights.

Winner: The Miz

Bray Wyatt Promo:

Bray Wyatt starts to sing that this is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. He says that he couldn’t help but notice that people like to be surrounded by everyone they love on the holiday. That got him thinking. Why? He believes that people surround themselves with loved ones because they feel safe. Bray asks if you feel safe.

Bray says that he hates to break it to you, but your safety is an illusion. A façade to shield you from the truth. When you look out the window, there is a different world. There is no Santa. There are no sugar plums. This is the real world. There is only pain, suffering, and sorrow. Bray says that this is his world. A world that he thrives in. In this world, he is King. Bray says that he has taken Dean Ambrose to his world once before. Before your very eyes, he is going to it once more. You too can feel this joyous moment beside him. All you have to do is look to the sky and follow the buzzards.

Tenth Match: Miracle on 34th Street Fight
Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt

Ambrose and Wyatt with punches and Ambrose with punches in the corner. Ambrose chops Bray and sends him into the corner. Ambrose with jabs to Wyatt followed by head butts. Ambrose runs his forearm across the face. Wyatt with an Irish whip but Ambrose with a clothesline out of the corner. Wyatt with a head butt and then he chokes Ambrose in the ropes. Ambrose with a clothesline and he punches Wyatt. Ambrose with knees and a chop followed by a drop kick with Wyatt against the ropes and Wyatt falls to the floor in front of the announce table. Ambrose sends Wyatt into some presents and then Ambrose Irish whips Wyatt into a Christmas tree. Ambrose opens a present as only Ambrose can to see what is inside. Ambrose with a snap mare and then he uses the tree for added emphasis on an elbow drop. Ambrose Irish whips Wyatt into another tree and then he hits Wyatt a few times with the tree. Ambrose opens a present and he has a monitor that isn’t plugged in this time. Ambrose puts it down and he sends Wyatt into the ringside barrier. Ambrose goes under the ring and he pulls out a gift wrapped table, but Wyatt hits Ambrose.

Ambrose is sent back into the ring and Wyatt puts the table under the ring because he is a Grinch for the fans. Ambrose with a suicide dive that sends Wyatt into a stack of presents. Ambrose sets up a table and they exchange punches. Ambrose brings Wyatt to the table with a front face lock. Ambrose with a punch and Wyatt falls onto the table. Ambrose puts on a wreath but Wyatt recovers before Ambrose can come off the turnbuckles. Ambrose puts the wreath over Wyatt’s head and he punches Wyatt. Ambrose hits Wyatt with a present and then he opens another present to reveal a chair. Ambrose waits for Wyatt to turn around and Wyatt kicks Ambrose and then he sends Ambrose off the stage and through a table We are back and we see the damage that has taken place in the match. Wyatt with a reverse chin lock and he takes Ambrose to the mat while we see more carnage. Wyatt sends Ambrose back to the mat when Dean tries to get back to his feet. Wyatt with a snap mare and reverse chin lock. Wyatt runs into a boot from Ambrose and Ambrose goes to the turnbuckles but Wyatt moves on a missile drop kick attempt. Wyatt with a back senton for a near fall. Wyatt with a reverse chin lock but Ambrose gets back to his feet and he grabs the beard. Wyatt with a kick but Ambrose with a kick. Wyatt with a flying cross body and Wyatt goes to the floor. Wyatt sends Ambrose into a Christmas tree. Wyatt picks up a present while the people want Ambrose sent into the final surviving tree. Wyatt obliges and then he picks up the tree and drops it on Ambrose.

Wyatt gets chairs from under the ring and throws them into the ring. Wyatt sends Ambrose back into the and Wyatt grabs a kendo stick. Wyatt hits Ambrose in the midsection and then the back. Wyatt hits Ambrose in the chest with the kendo stick. Ambrose puts the kendo stick into the turnbuckle wrap. Wyatt with head butts and then he tries to send Ambrose into the end of the stick but Ambrose stops him. Ambrose tries to send Wyatt into the stick but Wyatt stops him. Wyatt with a lariat for a near fall. Wyatt tells Ambrose they are going to hell. Wyatt puts a chair in the turnbuckles and then he head butts Ambrose in the back of the head. Wyatt adjusts the kendo stick in the turnbuckle. Ambrose sends Wyatt into the chair in the turnbuckles. Ambrose and Wyatt exchange punches and Ambrose with Vigilante Sting punches and chops. Ambrose with a running forearm. Ambrose with a running forearm into the corner followed by a bulldog. Ambrose grabs the kendo stick out of his special bag of tricks. Ambrose tries to hit Wyatt with the kendo stick but Wyatt blocks it. Ambrose avoids a uranage and then Ambrose is sent into the ropes and he bounces off and hits a lariat. Ambrose hits Wyatt with the kendo stick and then he hits the White Russian leg sweep. Ambrose gets a chair and hits an elbow drop off the turnbuckles for a near fall. Ambrose gets a ladder from under the ring and he brings it into the ring. Ambrose puts the ladder in the corner and Wyatt with a crab walk and then he hits a uranage onto the ladder for a near fall. Wyatt sends Ambrose into the ladder one more time. Wyatt sets for Sister Abigail but Ambrose escapes and he sends Wyatt into the ladder and Ambrose gets a near fall. Ambrose sets up the ladder in the ring and he climbs to the top. Ambrose hits an elbow and he gets a near fall. Ambrose puts chairs on top of Wyatt. Ambrose climbs the ladder with a chair but Wyatt throws a chair at Ambrose to knock him off and then Wyatt sends Ambrose into the kendo stick in the corner for the three count. After the match, Wyatt goes over to Ambrose and Ambrose sprays a fire extinguisher in Wyatt’s face. Ambrose puts Wyatt on the table on the floor and then Ambrose climbs the turnbuckles and hits an elbow drop off the turnbuckles through the table.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/12/22/wwe-raw-results-piper-returns-ambrose-vs-wyatt/feed/0Why WWE Fans Should Be Thankful For Canadahttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/10/14/wwe-fans-thankful-canada/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/10/14/wwe-fans-thankful-canada/#commentsTue, 14 Oct 2014 12:34:43 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=14548On Monday it was Thanksgiving in Canada. So in that spirit, let’s talk about some of the Canadian wrestlers that we can all be thankful for getting into a WWE ring. Let’s start with a female that Jim Ross called Canada’s greatest export. Trish Stratus always has had the looks but during her time there, ...

]]>On Monday it was Thanksgiving in Canada. So in that spirit, let’s talk about some of the Canadian wrestlers that we can all be thankful for getting into a WWE ring.

Let’s start with a female that Jim Ross called Canada’s greatest export. Trish Stratus always has had the looks but during her time there, she became a good in-ring competitor and worker. She should be a role model of what a diva or female competitor can be, as far as a wrestler in terms of her hard work. Trish did Canada proud in being the female with the most title reigns in WWE history, with nine Women’s Title runs including in her retirement match against Lita in front of her hometown fans in Toronto at Unforgiven in 2006.

The Toronto area also produced the lovable daredevil duo of Edge and Christian. They actually started as mysterious, gothic figures that never talked but grew to be part of a tag-team revival in the WWE with the Dudley’s and Hardy’s that produced some of the most crazy, risk-filled matches in the history of the sport. The two would eventually break apart and have successful singles careers and along the way would be two of the WWE’s best comedic performers at times as well. Edge was forced to retire several years back due to injury and is now in the WWE Hall of Fame. Christian remains with the company and could wrestle according to some reports but is being held out of action after dealing with a concussion that has sidelined him for quite some time. Perhaps no two performers from Canada have given more of their bodies to this business than these two with all the many risks and blows they took over the years. They did it to be noticed, they were, and it allowed them to have long careers with many great moments along the way.

You can’t talk about Canada and pro wrestling without mentioning the Hart Family. Bret was the most successful of the group but his career is tied to one singular event more than anything else he did. The Montreal Screw Job you have to include when telling the story of Hart, Shawn Michaels and even Vince McMahon. His rivalry with Michaels is arguably one of the greatest of all time. Hart was the face of the companies “New Generation” and had classic matches with almost anyone they paired him with to wrestle.

Following in those large footprints was Owen Hart who at first attempted to enter the company as the masked Blue Blazer. Making it easier to no be caught in that shadow and allowing Owen to show his skills. He would lose the gimmick and the mask and have a fantastic feud with his brother and an all-time classic match to open WrestleMania 10. That feud lasted for some time before they came together as the Hart Foundation with brother in-laws British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart and family friend Brian Pillman. Owen was arguably just as skilled as Bret in the ring, but much more fun loving and far less concerned with his legacy. Sadly, that legacy will be tied to his premature death in fall at the WWE Over the Edge pay-per-view.

Chris Jericho is also one of us. Not the typical Canadian as he brags often and will be the first to tell you he was this first undisputed champion and beat The Rock and Steve Austin to do that in the same night. Before his days in WWE, he built a decent career in WCW and he was and still is at the core of it all entertaining. Jericho is a good worker in the ring but in some ways is an even better entertainer. He spends more time away from the WWE than in it these days until recently. His rock band Fozzy has taken off and is a success in its own right with songs making the charts and developing its own fan base.

There are many stars that were never billed from Canada but were in fact were Canadian. Perhaps, the most famous of those, the crazy man Rowdy Roddy Piper. He now calls Oregon home but he originally came from here.

The Canadian Football League has been the home for many guys that ended up being big stars in wrestling. Guys like Lex Luger as an example. Perhaps the most famous being Dwayne Johnson, a defensive lineman from Miami that tried out for the Calgary Stampeders. He would not make it and he would decide to take up the family business of pro wrestling. That’s when The Rock was born and go on to astronomical success in the WWE and now in his career in Hollywood.

Roman Reigns had a little more success than his cousin who never played a game in the CFL. Reigns played in five games for ironically the Stampeders rivals the Edmonton Eskimos.

There has been a massive gap in Canadian stars after Edge’s forced retirement. Christian is still there but he would soon not be around as much due to injuries. Jericho has been in and out of the WWE over the past few years. Natalya is around but not being used prior to Total Divas. Her husband Tyson Kidd was hurt until returning in the last year but has not been used much on the main roster but has been a big part of NXT in the last few months.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Steen have made their way from the independents to WWE developmental. In addition, some Canadian content on the broadcasting side with Renee Young and Kyle Edwards who worked up here, hosting a wrestling show for The Score television network among other things. Young has been a rock star since arriving doing more and more things in her short time with the company. Edwards was just recently hired and we will see what the future holds for him in the company.

The point to all of this is if you are Canadian or not, we all owe Canada many thanks for its contributions to the WWE over the years.

Hope you had Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians out there and best wishes to all of you and your families. Here is hoping you enjoyed the food and family.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/10/14/wwe-fans-thankful-canada/feed/0Hulk Hogan Talks Wrestlemania 30, Favorite Mania Match and Ultimate Warriorhttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/07/28/hulk-hogan-talks-wrestlemania-30-favorite-mania-match-and-ultimate-warrior/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/07/28/hulk-hogan-talks-wrestlemania-30-favorite-mania-match-and-ultimate-warrior/#commentsMon, 28 Jul 2014 17:36:32 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=12137Hulk Hogan made his long-awaited return to the WWE earlier this year and also served as host of WrestleMania 30. The show will make its network debut this Sunday night in a condensed, one-hour version airing on NBC titled WrestleMania 30: The World Television Premiere. Today, the Hulkster participated in a conference call to discuss WrestleMania ...

]]>Hulk Hogan made his long-awaited return to the WWE earlier this year and also served as host of WrestleMania 30. The show will make its network debut this Sunday night in a condensed, one-hour version airing on NBC titled WrestleMania 30: The World Television Premiere.

Today, the Hulkster participated in a conference call to discuss WrestleMania 30, his opening segment with Steve Austin and The Rock, rumors of a potential match at the show with Roddy Piper, where he what was his favorite match at WrestleMania over the years, The Undertaker match, making peace with The Ultimate Warrior, the young talent in the company now, his involvement in Rocky 3 and more. (I apologize for missing the first few minutes of the conference call which begins with Hulk answering a question about his mistake at the beginning of the event where he called the Superdome the Silverdome.)

“WRESTLEMANIA® 30: THE WORLD TELEVISION PREMIERE” TO AIR ON NBC SUNDAY, AUG. 3

NBC and WWE are bringing WrestleMania® to network television Sunday, Aug. 3 (7-8 p.m. ET) with “WrestleMania 30: The World Television Premiere.” For the sixth year in a row, this special will allow fans to relive moments celebrating 30 years of the world’s most popular sports entertainment extravaganza. The one-hour broadcast will feature the return of pop culture icons and WWE legends Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock, as well as highly-anticipated matches, including John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt™, and Undertaker® defending his epic WrestleMania undefeated streak against former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar.

On April 6, WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza sold-out the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans with more than 75,000 fans from all 50 states and 37 countries in attendance. WrestleMania 30, grossing $10.9 million, broke the record for the Mercedes-Benz Superdome’s highest grossing entertainment event, which was broadcast worldwide in more than 100 countries and 20 languages and reached a record 1 million households in the U.S. on WWE Network and pay-per-view combined. Next year’s WrestleMania 31 takes place on Sunday, March 29, 2015 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

A special thank you to all the supporters of BetweenTheRopes.com. If you like what we are doing and want to help support the site and keep all of the content free, please donate to the site by clicking on the support banner on the front page.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/07/28/hulk-hogan-talks-wrestlemania-30-favorite-mania-match-and-ultimate-warrior/feed/0Hulk Hogan made his long-awaited return to the WWE earlier this year and also served as host of WrestleMania 30. The show will make its network debut this Sunday night in a condensed, one-hour version airing on NBC titled WrestleMania 30: The World Te...Hulk Hogan made his long-awaited return to the WWE earlier this year and also served as host of WrestleMania 30. The show will make its network debut this Sunday night in a condensed, one-hour version airing on NBC titled WrestleMania 30: The World Television Premiere.
Today, the Hulkster participated in a conference call to discuss WrestleMania 30, his opening segment with Steve Austin and The Rock, rumors of a potential match at the show with Roddy Piper, where he what was his favorite match at WrestleMania over the years, The Undertaker match, making peace with The Ultimate Warrior, the young talent in the company now, his involvement in Rocky 3 and more. (I apologize for missing the first few minutes of the conference call which begins with Hulk answering a question about his mistake at the beginning of the event where he called the Superdome the Silverdome.)
Hulk Hogan "Hulkamania" Men's Yellow Authentic T-shirt now available at WWEShop.com!
Here is the official press release on the upcoming show:
"WRESTLEMANIA® 30: THE WORLD TELEVISION PREMIERE" TO AIR ON NBC SUNDAY, AUG. 3
NBC and WWE are bringing WrestleMania® to network television Sunday, Aug. 3 (7-8 p.m. ET) with "WrestleMania 30: The World Television Premiere." For the sixth year in a row, this special will allow fans to relive moments celebrating 30 years of the world’s most popular sports entertainment extravaganza. The one-hour broadcast will feature the return of pop culture icons and WWE legends Hulk Hogan, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock, as well as highly-anticipated matches, including John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt™, and Undertaker® defending his epic WrestleMania undefeated streak against former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar.
On April 6, WWE's annual pop-culture extravaganza sold-out the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans with more than 75,000 fans from all 50 states and 37 countries in attendance. WrestleMania 30, grossing $10.9 million, broke the record for the Mercedes-Benz Superdome's highest grossing entertainment event, which was broadcast worldwide in more than 100 countries and 20 languages and reached a record 1 million households in the U.S. on WWE Network and pay-per-view combined. Next year's WrestleMania 31 takes place on Sunday, March 29, 2015 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
A special thank you to all the supporters of BetweenTheRopes.com. If you like what we are doing and want to help support the site and keep all of the content free, please donate to the site by clicking on the support banner on the front page.
Subscribe to Between The Ropes on iTunes so you automatically get the latest podcasts. You can also subscribe to Between The Ropes on Stitcher.Brian FritznoThe Good, The Bad And The Dirty From Last Night’s WWE Monday Night Rawhttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/04/01/good-bad-dirty-last-nights-wwe-monday-night-raw/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/04/01/good-bad-dirty-last-nights-wwe-monday-night-raw/#commentsTue, 01 Apr 2014 22:11:49 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=7870Last night’s edition of WWE Monday Night Raw took place in Washington D.C. and was the final Raw before WrestleMania 30 on Sunday in New Orleans. We give you what was the good, the bad and the dirty from last night’s show. The Good 1) John Cena Promo: It was a good night for Cena. ...

Last night’s edition of WWE Monday Night Raw took place in Washington D.C. and was the final Raw before WrestleMania 30 on Sunday in New Orleans. We give you what was the good, the bad and the dirty from last night’s show.

The Good

1) John Cena Promo: It was a good night for Cena. The first time we seen him out was when he stood in the ring with the Wyatt’s in Duke “The Dumpster” Droese garb and a sheep’s mask after Bray Wyatt’s match with R-Truth. Cena then cut an emotional backstage interview with Renee Young telling her that,”You will see fire, you will see hell, and you will see rage and John Cena will be a monster.” Behind the nonsensical Jimmy Buffet reference a few weeks back, Cena has cut some very good promos heading into Wrestlemania. Wish we would see more consistent promos from Cena in every program.

2) Opening Segment: I was very down on what WWE did last week making Brock Lesnar look weak again with The Undertaker. It was a very smart move by WWE opening with Taker and Lesnar to combat the series finale of “How I Met Your Mother”. Liked when Taker used the line, “there are three things that can’t be beat: Death, Taxes, and The Streak. That line made it seem how important The Streak is to everyday life. Paul Heyman was his usual spot on self comparing Lesnar winning this Sunday to Hulk Hogan defeating Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania 3. Liked how Lesnar walked around the ring and thinking about whether to get into the ring with Taker. Was smart for Heyman to distract Taker with Lesnar giving a vicious clothesline and the F5. Only bad thing was I wish Lesnar would have done another F5, but this segment left fans with some doubt of whether The Streak will continue on after Wrestlemania.

The Bad

3) Piper’s Pit: Roddy Piper felt that he should be on Wrestlemania 30 and do a Piper’s Pit with Hulk Hogan due to the happenings at Wrestlemania 1. Well, thankfully we got this last night. Piper looked lost a couple times in promoting the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. The eye gouge was awful and unnecessary. This was a waste of time and their could have been a better way to promote the Battle Royal.

4) Big E vs Alberto Del Rio: This doesn’t get a bad due to the match, as it wasn’t horrible. This was bad to the finish. The logic behind the Intercontinental champion losing a non-title match to a guy who hasn’t won a lot of matches in awhile. Big E should be defending the title instead of being in the Battle Royal. All titles should be defended at Wrestlemania as you can always throw guys in the Battle Royal to fill the ring.

The Dirty

5) Closing Segment: This a good dirty. Behind a few things, this was looking like a dreadful show heading into the final segment of the show. The Batista vs Randy Orton match was a good match considering what we have seen from Batista since his return in January. Liked how Bryan came out through the crowd and attacked Triple H. It was good to see Bryan get the better of Batista and Orton as well as it gives the fans hope that he will walk out of Wrestlemania with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Thought it was a smart move by WWE to keep Bryan off of last week’s Raw as it meant more last night as Bryan got the biggest pop of the show. Will Bryan win the title on Sunday? We will find out.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/04/01/good-bad-dirty-last-nights-wwe-monday-night-raw/feed/1Official List Of Legends Who Will Be On Tonight’s Old School WWE Rawhttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/01/06/official-list-legends-will-tonights-old-school-wwe-raw/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/01/06/official-list-legends-will-tonights-old-school-wwe-raw/#commentsMon, 06 Jan 2014 19:55:09 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=6178WWE Monday Night Raw returns tonight starting at 8 p.m. ET with the show being “Old School”. The WWE today sent BetweenTheRopes.com the following press release of the WWE legends that will be on the show tonight. WWE Legends and Hall of Famers reunite for “Old School” Monday Night Raw, tonight at 8/7C on USA ...

WWE Monday Night Raw returns tonight starting at 8 p.m. ET with the show being “Old School”. The WWE today sent BetweenTheRopes.com the following press release of the WWE legends that will be on the show tonight.

Historic WWE theme music, graphics, entrance ramp, ring posts and colors will be part of the same exciting Monday Night Raw that’s been a staple on television for more than 20 years.

Monday Night Raw is the longest-running, weekly episodic program in U.S. primetime TV history and is the most-watched, regularly scheduled, year-round program on cable, airing live every Monday night, 52 weeks a year. Each week, Monday Night Raw is rated as one of the most socially active shows on cable television.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/01/06/official-list-legends-will-tonights-old-school-wwe-raw/feed/0“Rowdy” Roddy Piper Talks Klondike Bars, Wrestling Bears and Being Hatedhttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2013/09/18/rowdy-roddy-piper-talks-klondike-bars-wrestling-bears-and-being-hated/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2013/09/18/rowdy-roddy-piper-talks-klondike-bars-wrestling-bears-and-being-hated/#commentsWed, 18 Sep 2013 19:23:01 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=4511Ever wonder what you would do for a Klondike Bar? How about what a celebrity would do for one? That”s the question posed in the Klondike Celebrity Challenge where fan could decide what three different celebs would do to get their hands on that delicious ice cream wrapped in creamy chocolate. All summer long, fans ...

]]>Ever wonder what you would do for a Klondike Bar? How about what a celebrity would do for one?

That”s the question posed in the Klondike Celebrity Challenge where fan could decide what three different celebs would do to get their hands on that delicious ice cream wrapped in creamy chocolate. All summer long, fans have given their ideas for the celebrities.

Take of example Alfonso Ribeiro, aka Carlton on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and him showing off some sweet dancing moves to get his hands on one. Or even for teen pop-star Tiffany singing to strangers in the mall. Sure, why not?

But then one fan decided how about facing WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper? Easier said than done, even if for a yummy Klondike bar.

Fans have been able to take part on the Klondike Celebrity Challenge on its Facebook Page and this Sunday, September 22, Joel McHale will be hosting the Klondys which will announce the winner.

BetweenTheRopes.com caught up with the “Hot Rod” to talk about the challenge, wrestling bears and being hated over a wrestling career that has now spanned more than four decades.

(You can go to the bottom of the podcast to hear the entire interview.)

(laughs) I don’t know. It was pretty cool. If you go to the Klondike Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Klondike) you see what these people would make Roddy Piper do for a Klondike bar. The Klondike people were pretty smart because was they did was you go to the Facebook page and people come up with different ideas like hit someone with coconuts, chew bubble gum, fight Hogan again. But whoever comes up with the idea that gets picked, they have to do the idea also. So this guy named Eric — who is a nice guy but said he wanted to wrestle ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper — (laughs) I don’t think he heard the rest of the rules. I just came right through the door. I didn’t even open it! OK bud here we go! He did OK but I think they next day he had a tremendous amount of respect for pro wrestling as he limped in.

What they’re going to do on September 22nd is while the Emmy’s are going on, Joel McHale is going to present the first Klondy award. It’s great stuff and I want to win.

Any idea what the Klondy award looks like?

(laughs) I don’t! Either a big polar bear or like a really good ice cream bar. I don’t know but I’ll be proud to put it by my other trophies here.

What other trophies do you have sitting around your house right now?

I’ll turn around and tell you. The coolest one is I have an Afghanistan Special Forces Raise the Flag on the front line under my name and they flew that flag and took it down and they folded it and put it in a huge case and says was battalion it’s from and I was presented that which is really cool. I have Rookie of the Year, Most Hated of the Year, Most Loved Wrestler of the Year, four Hall of Fames, #1 movie They Live, record from Cindi Lauper, the gloves I boxed Mr. T with.

I do love that you were both the most hated wrestler and most loved wrestler.

You know what? I don’t have these in front of me but when I started two years in a row I was rookie of the year. Go figure that one out. And I was the most loved and most hated back-to-back. In Nassau Coliseum at WrestleMania II I was wrestling Mr. T and the crowd just started cheering my name. I don’t know why. Probably the reason why (Hulk) Hogan lost most of his hair!

At that time, when you talk about being the most hated guy out there, how much easier was it to be hated then compared to now in wrestling?

Oh, they’re not even the same animal. I’ve been stabbed three times, the last one an inch from the heart in Raleigh, North Carolina. You know, we were pretty serious about what we were doing back then. It was more like gun fighters I guess. In 1982, 3, 4 the WWWF which was run by Vince McMahon, Sr., he called us all rebels who would work anywhere. And when you came into that locker room there was Hogan, (David) Schultz, (Don) Moraco, Andre (the Giant), Tony Atlas, Bruno Sammartino. It’s a pretty heavy-hitting crowd. Back then, they stabbed you. Now they don’t. I think that’s the difference.

That’s a good thing that they’re not stabbing people now.

(laughs) I think so too! I’d go to an arena. I’d send in three, four weeks of annoying interviews and I’d come right to your town, beat up your champion and then at the end of the night, you guys would go out and eat and I had to eat too. And there’d be only one Denny’s. First thing I would do, I’d walk into the Denny’s, I’d go right back to the kitchen and give the cook $20 so he wouldn’t spit in my food. I did that for like ten years.

That’s a costly grand slam.

(laughs) And you know what, they didn’t have the class to have a Klondike bar.

You mentioned doing those interviews. Did the gift of gab come naturally for you or did you develop it over time?

Well, I started pro when I was 15. I was pretty scared. And they beat me up a lot for about four or five years, every night. I remember the first time a microphone was ever put in my hand, it was in Halifax and I maybe 16 years old. And I just wrestled a guy, a young fellow named Lou Thesz on TV and this guy just the microphone in my hand, the promoter. I just told him how scared I was. I didn’t have any preconceived notions. I was a pretty honest kid. I’ve been kicked around enough where I’ve found bottom and I was scared. And as I got going, I just said what was on my heart and started to mix some showbiz in with it. But most of the things that I say, you can’t go out and do an interview unless you back it up. Then you lose you credibility. So if I say to somebody that I’m going to paint myself half-black and go out and get you, I better do that. Or I’m going to break a full bottle of beer over my head and watch this because this is how tough I am. I need to do that and I did that.

I got that schooling myself because from the old Gorgeous George days guys would say I’m going to rip your lungs out and whatever the terminology was. And I think no you’re not going to do that. And when you started to say what you actually wanted to achieve, then it started a new way for the fan to think. I guess I was the innovator in that, not necessarily by intelligence but by survival. The first time I said how scared I was, no one had ever said that on the microphone before. And it really got a lot of attention.

You’ve been in the wrestling business now for over four decades. I think you’re one of the last guys around that can say you wrestled a bear.

That bear, he’d love to kill me. His name was Victor like he needed a name. And I fought him for $25! And I’m looking over at (Roy) Shire like you’re going to fire me if I don’t wrestle this bear. And hey rules for wrestling this bear too. It’s a good thing in the Klondike thing that they didn’t want me to wrestle the polar bear. I might have at least charged fifty for that one.

I think there still might be time where I can say I want to tag-team with a polar bear from Klondike against Roddy Piper for a Klondike bar.

That would have been a good one.

Obviously people remember the moment when you hit Jimmy Snuka with the coconut. Did you ever imagine that would become this iconic moment?

No. You don’t think like that. In my case anyway. Jimmy Snuka is an unbelievable athlete. But he only says three things: you know brudda. That’s it! How was the funeral? You know brudda. How was the wedding? You know brudda. And I have two minutes and 54 seconds in Piper’s Pit which was relatively new. I know we were someplace made to look like an arena. I just said to someone go an get some stuff from Fiji. I just needed things to talk about. And they came back with pineapples and bananas and coconuts. There was no more thought put in it than that. I don’t think I’d ever held a coconut before. I can remember taking those coconuts and dropping them on the table and thinking to myself ‘holy cow’ and looking at Jimmy. What convinced me to hit him, to show how selfish you can be, was he had this headband on made of seashells, that was a head guard. That was good enough for me. When I hit him the whole set came down behind the set was like two packers and a meat dolly. What’s the guy in the dress doing to the Polynesian guy? I don’t think anybody goes into something thinking I’m going to try and make history here. I think they’re just working hard and they’re getting finely honed. They just kind of hit it every once in a while.

Has Snuka ever forgiven you?

No. You know, people talk about it and we kind of laugh a little bit but the truth of the matter is I thought … His eyes rolled. That’s not a good sign. When he was down, his eyes rolled back. When they finally got Snuka back to his dressing room, I was told that he just stared at the floor for 20-25 minutes. They never take you to the hospital. You could be walking out with your leg. I love Jimmy to death. He was never, ever the same after that.

There has been talking about a movie on your life. If there anything more to that?

Yeah they’re writing that. It’s scaring the dog out of me. Even when I wrote a book, I didn’t talk about before I was 15. So, year, they’re writing it.

Are you involved with it?

Yeah, because they have to ask me because nobody knows. Even my family. I kind of started my life at 15. Before that, it was a very challenging life. So now they’re writing about it. I was a very angry man until I was 13. I lived on the streets for two years. And when I was 15, I lived in a YMCA boxing and amateur wrestling. And somebody just didn’t show up at the Winnipeg Arena for Verne Gagne’s club. And they said I can get you $25. And my bagpipe band, I came in fifth in the world playing the bagpipes when I was 14. I had never seen one and I said what’s going on? They said we’ll play you in. My first name is Roderick. Short for Roderick is Roddy. The announced didn’t know who I was. He needed to announce me. He said ladies and gentlemen, here comes Roddy the Piper. No more to it than that. It was Mr’ Perfect’s dad, Larry ‘The Axe” Hennig, I was 167 pounds, he was 320 pounds. I lost in ten seconds. He broke my nose, split my eye. I guess he wasn’t a bagpipe fan. And the promoter comes back and he said “kid you did great, how would you like to go to Kansas City?” And they put my in a van that night in Canada and snuck me over and I never stopped. And then I got into a life … no rules, just some real consequences.

What has the life meant for you to be a part of the wrestling business for 45 years now?

It’s done this. I’ve given me four of the most beautiful children in the world. Today is my wife’s birthday and on October 12 we’ll married 31 years. It gave me a family I never had. When I got to pro wrestling, I considered them my family. And because of that family I got my own family. And that’s the greatest gift of all.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2013/09/18/rowdy-roddy-piper-talks-klondike-bars-wrestling-bears-and-being-hated/feed/0Ever wonder what you would do for a Klondike Bar? How about what a celebrity would do for one? That''s the question posed in the Klondike Celebrity Challenge where fan could decide what three different celebs would do to get their hands on that delic...Ever wonder what you would do for a Klondike Bar? How about what a celebrity would do for one?
That''s the question posed in the Klondike Celebrity Challenge where fan could decide what three different celebs would do to get their hands on that delicious ice cream wrapped in creamy chocolate. All summer long, fans have given their ideas for the celebrities.
Take of example Alfonso Ribeiro, aka Carlton on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and him showing off some sweet dancing moves to get his hands on one. Or even for teen pop-star Tiffany singing to strangers in the mall. Sure, why not?
But then one fan decided how about facing WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper? Easier said than done, even if for a yummy Klondike bar.
Fans have been able to take part on the Klondike Celebrity Challenge on its Facebook Page and this Sunday, September 22, Joel McHale will be hosting the Klondys which will announce the winner.
BetweenTheRopes.com caught up with the "Hot Rod" to talk about the challenge, wrestling bears and being hated over a wrestling career that has now spanned more than four decades.
(You can go to the bottom of the podcast to hear the entire interview.)
So what have you been up to lately?
I'm constantly doing something different. This time it's the Klondike Celebrity Challenge. I'm being challenged.
How can anyone challenge you?
(laughs) I don't know. It was pretty cool. If you go to the Klondike Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Klondike) you see what these people would make Roddy Piper do for a Klondike bar. The Klondike people were pretty smart because was they did was you go to the Facebook page and people come up with different ideas like hit someone with coconuts, chew bubble gum, fight Hogan again. But whoever comes up with the idea that gets picked, they have to do the idea also. So this guy named Eric -- who is a nice guy but said he wanted to wrestle 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper -- (laughs) I don't think he heard the rest of the rules. I just came right through the door. I didn't even open it! OK bud here we go! He did OK but I think they next day he had a tremendous amount of respect for pro wrestling as he limped in.
What they're going to do on September 22nd is while the Emmy's are going on, Joel McHale is going to present the first Klondy award. It's great stuff and I want to win.
Any idea what the Klondy award looks like?
(laughs) I don't! Either a big polar bear or like a really good ice cream bar. I don't know but I'll be proud to put it by my other trophies here.
What other trophies do you have sitting around your house right now?
I'll turn around and tell you. The coolest one is I have an Afghanistan Special Forces Raise the Flag on the front line under my name and they flew that flag and took it down and they folded it and put it in a huge case and says was battalion it's from and I was presented that which is really cool. I have Rookie of the Year, Most Hated of the Year, Most Loved Wrestler of the Year, four Hall of Fames, #1 movie They Live, record from Cindi Lauper, the gloves I boxed Mr. T with.
I do love that you were both the most hated wrestler and most loved wrestler.
You know what? I don't have these in front of me but when I started two years in a row I was rookie of the year. Go figure that one out. And I was the most loved and most hated back-to-back. In Nassau Coliseum at WrestleMania II I was wrestling Mr. T and the crowd just started cheering my name. I don't know why. Probably the reason why (Hulk) Hogan lost most of his hair!
At that time, when you talk about being the most hated guy out there, how much easier was it to be hated then compared to now in wrestling?
Oh, they're not even the same animal. I've been stabbed three times, the last one an inch from the heart in Raleigh, North Carolina. You know, we were pretty serious about what we were doing back then. It was more like gun fighters I guess. In 1982, 3,Brian Fritzno18:17